CECIL HURT: Alabama doesn't meet own standard

Published: Sunday, November 17, 2013 at 12:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, November 17, 2013 at 12:12 a.m.

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"We won the game," Nick Saban said in the Alabama locker room. "But we didn't really beat the other team."

There is the blessing, and the curse, of the Alabama football team at the moment. The objective in college football, of course, is to win the game, and Alabama did dispatch Mississippi State, 20-7. But the expectation — and this is not limited to Alabama's especially demanding fan base — is that the Crimson Tide dynasty — for so it is perceived, fairly or not — should dominate everyone it plays, every time it plays.

Alabama fans feel that way, understandably. Also, many in the national media will say Alabama fell short of that standard this week. They will vigorously debate the Crimson Tide's pre-eminent position in the BCS poll (not that anything will change that.)

Inevitably, everyone will start to extrapolate this performance, measure it against Auburn's surprising season (and magical Saturday win) and convince themselves UA will not make it out of Lee County with any championship hopes, SEC or BCS, still alive.

Regardless of what anyone outside the Crimson Tide team thinks, the issue will be how the team itself handles a day without dominance. After all, the players have the domination expectation, too. Saban doesn't just talk about "winning" in his motivational speeches. He talks about "dominating."

That isn't entirely based on the weekly scoreboard, although that is the most convenient way to look at it. There is an element of beating the other team involved, but it also means that a team has to have self-dominance, to eliminate mistakes and avoid the human tendency to inertia, to standing pat and getting fat when things are going good.

If Alabama had accomplished that in Starkville and still come out with a 20-7 win, Saban would have sounded satisfied, not gloomy. But Alabama didn't.

So, the question becomes, can Alabama regain its spark, especially on offense? The defense gave up a few plays, but it is really hard to gripe too much about holding a team to seven points and less than 200 yards.

Perhaps this was a one-game glitch for AJ McCarron, who looked uncomfortable in the first half, played a strong third quarter, and didn't close especially well.

One of the game's little ironies was T.J. Yeldon rushed for a career-high 160 yards, although he will be remembered more for a momentum-killing fumble in the third quarter. Alabama's offense has bounced back from such games before.

Alabama has a game this week against Chattanooga which will serve one important purpose. No, it won't enhance the resume, nor will it test Alabama in any sort of pressure situation. But it will provide a seven-day bulwark against conversation about the season finale against Auburn, at least in the confines of the Crimson Tide football facility.

It would take a foolhardy reporter to toss Saban an Auburn question before the Chattanooga game is played, and the reserves of Saban patience will be short with the players as well. There will be plenty of Alabama-Auburn talk around the state, naturally, but that is a different matter.

This wouldn't be the first time Alabama has struggled with Mississippi State, then gone on to big things at the end of the year. A mixed-bag performance is not a death sentence. It just wasn't domination, which is the standard that Alabama sets for itself.

It "didn't really beat" Mississippi State, but what Saban was really saying was Alabama didn't reach its own standard, just at the time of year when that becomes imperative.

<p>STARKVILLE, Miss.</p><p>"We won the game," Nick Saban said in the Alabama locker room. "But we didn't really beat the other team."</p><p>There is the blessing, and the curse, of the Alabama football team at the moment. The objective in college football, of course, is to win the game, and Alabama did dispatch Mississippi State, 20-7. But the expectation — and this is not limited to Alabama's especially demanding fan base — is that the Crimson Tide dynasty — for so it is perceived, fairly or not — should dominate everyone it plays, every time it plays. </p><p>Alabama fans feel that way, understandably. Also, many in the national media will say Alabama fell short of that standard this week. They will vigorously debate the Crimson Tide's pre-eminent position in the BCS poll (not that anything will change that.) </p><p>Inevitably, everyone will start to extrapolate this performance, measure it against Auburn's surprising season (and magical Saturday win) and convince themselves UA will not make it out of Lee County with any championship hopes, SEC or BCS, still alive. </p><p>Regardless of what anyone outside the Crimson Tide team thinks, the issue will be how the team itself handles a day without dominance. After all, the players have the domination expectation, too. Saban doesn't just talk about "winning" in his motivational speeches. He talks about "dominating." </p><p>That isn't entirely based on the weekly scoreboard, although that is the most convenient way to look at it. There is an element of beating the other team involved, but it also means that a team has to have self-dominance, to eliminate mistakes and avoid the human tendency to inertia, to standing pat and getting fat when things are going good. </p><p>If Alabama had accomplished that in Starkville and still come out with a 20-7 win, Saban would have sounded satisfied, not gloomy. But Alabama didn't.</p><p>Asked if the Crimson Tide got better this week, wide receiver Kevin Norwood replied bluntly.</p><p>"No," he said. "Not at all."</p><p>So, the question becomes, can Alabama regain its spark, especially on offense? The defense gave up a few plays, but it is really hard to gripe too much about holding a team to seven points and less than 200 yards. </p><p>Perhaps this was a one-game glitch for AJ McCarron, who looked uncomfortable in the first half, played a strong third quarter, and didn't close especially well. </p><p>One of the game's little ironies was T.J. Yeldon rushed for a career-high 160 yards, although he will be remembered more for a momentum-killing fumble in the third quarter. Alabama's offense has bounced back from such games before. </p><p>Alabama has a game this week against Chattanooga which will serve one important purpose. No, it won't enhance the resume, nor will it test Alabama in any sort of pressure situation. But it will provide a seven-day bulwark against conversation about the season finale against Auburn, at least in the confines of the Crimson Tide football facility. </p><p>It would take a foolhardy reporter to toss Saban an Auburn question before the Chattanooga game is played, and the reserves of Saban patience will be short with the players as well. There will be plenty of Alabama-Auburn talk around the state, naturally, but that is a different matter. </p><p>This wouldn't be the first time Alabama has struggled with Mississippi State, then gone on to big things at the end of the year. A mixed-bag performance is not a death sentence. It just wasn't domination, which is the standard that Alabama sets for itself. </p><p>It "didn't really beat" Mississippi State, but what Saban was really saying was Alabama didn't reach its own standard, just at the time of year when that becomes imperative. </p><p><i>Reach Cecil Hurt at cecil@tidesports.com or 205-722-0225.</i></p>